Forensic Psychology

The Psychology of Criminal Behavior

Is there a criminal mind?

For quite a few decades, the mental health field has attempted to classify and study the personality traits of people most likely to engage in criminal behavior. In other words, they have tried to diagnose the criminal mind. In the latest edition of the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders, DSM-IV and DSM-IV-TR, the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder describes people who habitually violate social norms and moral codes.